School of Theology

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St. John of the Cross’s Understanding of God as A Hidden Lover and Its Relevance to the Issue Of Suffering
(Tangaza University College, 2015) Ojukwu, Maxwell Chibueze
The Christian religion is one that is centred on faith in a loving God, who Vatican II says has expressed his love in various ways to us. Jesus Christ is the climax of God’s expression of his love for humanity (cf. DV 3-4). Various writers and Christian mystics have tried to express this love in various terms and symbols. John of the Cross, in line with Scripture and the teachings of the church, presents God as a loving God, who cares for his suffering children, turns their suffering to good and uses it to draw them closer to himself. John presents God as a Hidden Lover who loves his children and purifies them for a life of communion with him. He leads them through various stages and dark moments with his hidden presence. Though we suffer at every moment, God is still with us as the life of John of the Cross testifies. Irrespective of our pains and sufferings, God is still the closest person to us and loves us. He is at the very centre of our being, though we don’t seem to notice his presence because of our present painful condition.
“My Dead Son”: God’s Compassion, According To Luke 15:11-32 And Its Application to Christians Today
(Tangaza University College, 2016) Onwukwe, Francis Chukwuma
Luke’s Jesus is full of compassion and tender-loving kindness, always having concern for the poor, orphan, sinners and the outcasts. He is full of sensitivity. God is compassion and love. However, where is the compassion in our communities, homes, politics, schools, legal system, traditions and many others? Luke was not only trying to demonstrate Jesus’ messiahship; he was also trying to capture the character and attitude of Jesus so that the reader could come to believe in him. The evangelist, therefore, showed that Jesus associated himself with all kinds of people, rich and poor, socially accepted people and socially outcasts, religious people and sinners. It is evident that Luke’s Jesus, however, favours the poor and those people on the fringes of the society. There is no doubt that, this characteristic of Jesus gives hope, reassurance and life to the down trodden, those who have useless their lives, to those who feel that they have lost contact with society, to those who are racked by guilt, and useful to all Christians in general. If we are truly images of God, there is need for us to change our thoughts. I think that compassion does not necessarily need rationalization. It is a call, a vocation to all.
Experience of Suffering as A Way to a Deeper Knowledge of God an Analysis of Job 42:1-6
(Tangaza University College, 2014) Amore Abangiba, Gregory
Suffering has been a perennial problem for all human beings in all generations. When a person encounters suffering, he or she is forced to ask questions that are fundamental to human existence: Why suffering? Why me? What is the purpose of my existence? Recently I had an encounter with two different people at different times. Both of them had gone through some kind of misfortune in their lives. I met the first one in Ghana when I went for my holidays in July 2012, at a valley of prayer managed by the Conventual Franciscans. He had come for a monthly recollection organized by the friars. He had been involved in an accident in which his two kids passed away, and he had his leg amputated. The surprising thing is that he looked serene and sober, no sign of bitterness at his condition. As we got into a conversation he told me he is not bitter because surprisingly even for himself he has come much closer to God than he was. He said he feels God’s presence in his life more than ever before. The accident has been a blessing in disguise for him. I met the other man in Tanzania the following year, in July 2013. He had cancer and was struggling to find money for his treatment. I could see the pain and bitterness that was on his face. He was filled with anger, and as we talked the first thing that came out of his mouth was what everybody in his situation would ask: why me? Like Job, he refused to understand why such a thing would happen to him. What sin had he committed to undergo such pain and suffering? As I listened to him, I started making a comparison between this man and the other who had lost his two children and was himself amputated after an accident. I began to wonder what could have made the difference between the two of them. How come one was filled with joy and serenity and the other was full of bitterness and anger? Was it that one was suffering more than the other, or one had just learnt to let go and live the life he has? As I pondered these questions in my mind, I thought of the answer Job made to God after the latter had spoken from the whirlwind: “I had heard of thee by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees thee” (Job 42:5). I saw some kind of similarity in this answer of Job and the man who had lost his two children and had his leg amputated. I thought it might be a good idea to see why some people go through some misfortunes and come out stronger while others become bitter. Through the lens of Job, I want to explore this phenomenon. I want to see how we can get to a deeper and personal communion with God through our experience of suffering. This is going to be done in an exegetical manner, using Job 42:1-6 as our guiding text. In analyzing this text, we will also see how suffering has been understood in the bible as well as how one comes to a deeper knowledge and understanding of God. This will lead us to our main concern: how suffering brings us into communion with God. It is worth mentioning here that in using the term “knowledge”, I refer not just to intellectual knowing, but knowing that embodies the whole person, leading to a deeper and intimate relationship between people.
Culture as an Essential Element of Evangelization, a Case Study of the Karimojong of Northern Uganda
(Tangaza University College, 2015) Diyuo, Josephat
Our founder, Charles Cardinal Lavigerie of the Missionaries of Africa encouraged all of the Missionaries going on mission to like the people, like their culture: learn the language, eat the staple food, learn the traditions, share with them their joys and sorrows etc. This has been a motivation, with the hope that, this research will enlighten me more on how to apply the culture of the people in my missionary activities effectively. As a Dagao (someone born from my tribe), I realized in the Catholic Diocese of Wa, Ghana (my home diocese) that people have overwhelmingly embraced the gospel, however, the priests who know the traditions and practices of the faithful have a greater impact on the Christians than those lacking that ability. The above example testifies to the fact that the importance of culture in the process of evangelization cannot be overemphasized. At the end of my pastoral work in Uganda among the Karimojong, I felt the Karimojong are opened to the gospel but still so much attached to their culture which is good but some aspects especially the castle rustling and destruction of life is contrary to the gospel values. The question is how can we find a bridge between their culture and that of the gospel? Hence this research is aimed at enriching my knowledge of the Karimojong culture so as to help me and other missionaries working there do effective ministry.

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